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Environment Quick News
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| A
Monthly Report on EPRI's Environmental Research Programs |
September 2009 |
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Program members can use their epri.com ID and password to download Acrobat PDF files of EPRI technical reports. For assistance, contact the EPRI Customer Assistance Center at (800) 313-3774. |
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Dear Environment Sector members:
When we ask you about the value of EPRI research, one item that
always receives high priority is the need to be responsive to regulatory
timelines. High quality science is critical to good decision making,
and we do our best to ensure that our research is timely and relevant.
Several updates are reported in this issue of Quick News on work
we are conducting to meet key deadlines for a number of regulatory
activities under way at EPA. For example, with regard to coal combustion
products, we are finishing several draft reports that will be provided
to the Agency in advance of its decision on how to regulate these
materials. We will not only provide these materials to members but
will also hold briefing sessions for EPA staff on the results of
the work.
EPA is also moving toward establishing maximum achievable control
technology (MACT) standards for hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).
Our primary research activity related to these standards is a study
to examine the health risks of utility industry HAP emissions, and
that study is nearing completion. We recently submitted comments
to EPA on its proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) to measure
HAP emissions from a large number of coal-fired units.
Other regulatory rulemakings under way at EPA and described in
this newsletter include progress on water treatment systems for
FGD wastewater (effluent guidelines) and ongoing work in response
to EPA's Section 316b rule for cooling water intake structures.
Our climate research is heavily focused on informing policy discussions
both nationally and internationally, particularly in light of the
pending discussions in Congress and with respect to future international
negotiations.
I hope you are all planning to attend the upcoming advisory meetings
in Colorado on October 5–8. At these meetings we will provide
research updates on these and other activities within our current
research programs. We look forward to seeing you all there.
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| Program 42: Air Toxics Health and Risk
Assessment |
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Preliminary analyses of mercury measurements at Southern
Company’s Plant Crist seem to confirm previous observations
that some of the oxidized mercury emitted from the stack
converts to elemental mercury within the plume. |
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| Understanding the Role of Halogens in Coastal
Mercury Deposition. Program
on Technology Innovation: Coastal Halogen Atmospheric
Research on Mercury Deposition (CHARMeD) (1019522).
This Technical Report describes research, funded through
EPRI’s Innovator Circle program, on how mercury
oxidation by halogens (bromine oxide, iodine oxide) along
coastal regions may influence the enhanced concentrations
and wet deposition of oxidized mercury measured in the
southeastern United States. For more information, contact
Arnout Ter Schure, (650) 855-2281, aterschu@epri.com.
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| Program 91: Assessment Tools for Ozone,
Particulate Matter, Regional Haze and Atmospheric Deposition |
| . The
annual meeting for the Southeastern Aerosol Research and
Characterization (SEARCH) network project team was held
in August to discuss management issues and research priorities. |
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| . The third in a series of aerosol characterization
experiments began in August near Mt. Rainier National
Park. |
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| Program 92: Assessment of Air Quality
Impacts on Health and the Environment |
| . EPRI's Strategic Program
on Health and Environmental Impacts of Future Power Plant
Emissions has begun with two new projects related to toxicology
and atmospheric chemistry. |
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| Visit
the Global Climate Webpage |
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| Global Climate Change Area News |
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EPRI Journal. At this year’s
EPRI Summer Seminar, EPRI President and CEO Steve Specker
presented updated Prism and MERGE analyses. |
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The EPRI-hosted webcast “Understanding Cost
Estimates for the Waxman-Markey Legislation” is
now available to members of EPRI Programs 102 and 103. |
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EPRI's Richard Richels has been appointed to a new
National Academy of Sciences committee on Stabilization
Targets for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations. |
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| Program 102: Global Climate Policy Costs
and Benefits |
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This Technical Report reviews the current state
of general circulation models (GCMs) used to simulate
the earth’s climate and make projections decades
or centuries into the future. |
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| Program 103: Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Options |
| . Adam Diamant gave EPRI's Board of Directors
a presentation highlighting the key role of greenhouse
gas emissions offsets in evolving domestic and international
CO2 cap-and-trade programs. |
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| Program 49: Coal Combustion Products—Environmental
Issues |
| Research Reports No Risk to Human Health
From Mercury in Concrete or Wallboard.
Human
Health Risks from Mercury in Concrete and Wallboard Containing
Coal Combustion Products (1019023). According
to research reported in this Technical Update, a formal
risk assessment using conservative assumptions demonstrated
that mercury in coal fly ash concrete and flue gas desulfurization
gypsum wallboard does not pose a risk to human health,
either during use or after disposal in landfills. For
more information, contact Ken Ladwig, (262) 754-2744,
keladwig@epri.com. |
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| . Progress on research
described in the supplemental project notice “Sustainable
Management of Coal Combustion Products: Informing the
Regulatory Process” (1019334) was the focus of discussion
at the Coal Combustion Product Research Mid-Year Meeting
(Programs 49 and 78), held July 21–22 in Beltsville,
MD. |
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| Program 50: Manufactured Gas Plant Site
Management |
| Multiphase Field Study Improves Understanding
of Soil Vapor Intrusion. Field
Studies of Soil Vapor Intrusion at a Vacant Manufactured
Gas Plant (MGP) Site in Wisconsin (1017924).
To develop better tools for characterizing and predicting
vapor intrusion at former MGP sites, this Technical Update
presents information from the first two phases of a field
study in which researchers surveyed, sampled, and analyzed
soil gas, soil, and groundwater at a vacant MGP site in
Wisconsin. For more information, contact Jim Lingle, (414)
355-5559, jlingle@epri.com. |
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| . Participants in the 2009 Naphthalene
Research Meeting, held recently at the University of California
at Davis, reviewed various researchers’ work on
naphthalene uptake and toxicity. |
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| Program 59: Power Plant Toxics Characterization |
| . On
July 2 in the Federal Register, EPA proposed
a mandatory Information Collection Request (ICR) that
would require coal- and oil-fired power plants to submit
monitoring data characterizing hazardous air pollutant
emissions. |
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| Program 53: Water Quality Criteria Development
and Assessment |
| . EPRI is starting a
multiyear project to study the potential toxicity of coal-fired
power plant effluents to aquatic life, particularly freshwater
mussels. |
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| Program 55: Strategic Water Issues: TMDLs,
Availability, Climate |
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EPRI's Bob Goldstein recently attended the National
Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Summer
Meeting. |
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| Program 56: Effluent Guidelines and Water
Quality Management |
| . EPRI’s Paul Chu and Kent Zammit
met with EPA staff recently to provide an update on EPRI’s
FGD water characterization and treatment R&D work,
focusing on mercury and selenium. |
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| . This Technical Update
describes a pilot evaluation of the metallic iron cementation
process for selenium removal. |
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| . Because of successful
results on a year-long pilot-scale study using vertical
flow wetlands (VFW) to treat FGD wastewater, Duke Energy
recently decided to install a full-scale system at its
Marshall Plant by 2011. |
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| . This
Technical Report is the second volume of a guidance manual
for use by coal-fired power plant staff to help them better
manage their ash ponds to comply with wastewater regulations. |
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| Program 58: Waterpower |
| . On Aug. 5 at the facilities
of Voith Hydro Inc. in York, PA, EPRI held the official
kickoff meeting for the EPRI–U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) cofunded project that will complete the engineering
development and model testing of the Alden/Concepts NREC
advanced hydropower turbine (ACT). |
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| Source Data Assembled for National Wave
Energy Resource Assessment. The National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, working
with the EPRI project team, has assembled a 52-month (Feb.
2005 through May 2009) wave data set to be used as the
source data for the national wave energy resource assessment
project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The 60 GB of data contain fully partitioned sea-state
parameters for the entire U.S. coastal ocean grid (out
to 50 nautical miles) at three-hour intervals. For
more information, contact Roger Bedard, (520) 979-3275,
rbedard@epri.com.
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| . Under
the sponsorship of Pacific Energy Ventures and the Oregon
Wave Energy Trust (OWET), EPRI has completed a detailed
update of wave energy technology. |
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| . EPRI has completed its River Hydrokinetic
System Definition and Feasibility Study at three sites
in Alaska. |
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| . Several
EPRI staff attended the July 28–30 Waterpower
XVI conference in Spokane, WA, the largest gathering
of hydro professionals worldwide in 2009. |
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| Program 51: T&D Facilities & Equipment:
Environmental Issues |
| . EPRI is preparing a Technical
Update that reviews the development, application, and
success of established arsenic remediation technologies,
as well as the promise offered by new technologies, especially
those for treating groundwater. |
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| Program 60: EMF Health Assessment and
Radio-Frequency Safety |
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| Visit
the EMF Health Assessment and RF Safety Public Webpage |
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| EPRI Comments on a Study of Spatial Clustering
of Childhood Cancer. McNally RJ, et
al. “Spatial clustering of childhood cancer in Great
Britain during the period 1969–1993,” International
Journal of Cancer 2009; 124:932–6. EPRI evaluates
the strengths and limitations of this study, whose authors
conclude that common infections may be responsible for
the observed clustering of acute lymphoblastic leukemia
and soft tissue sarcomas but not for the observed clustering
of Wilms tumors. Comments
are available on epri.com. For more information,
contact Gabor Mezei, (650) 855-8908, gmezei@epri.com. |
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| EPRI Publishes First Integrated Job Exposure
Matrix for Electric Utility Workers. Integrated
Job Exposure Matrix for Electric Utility Workers
(1019011). This Technical Report describes development
of the first job exposure matrix to address all utility
worker exposures associated with electrical work, including
exposures to magnetic fields, electric fields, nuisance
shocks, imperceptible contact currents, and electrical
shocks and burns. For more information, contact
Rob Kavet, (650) 855-1061, rkavet@epri.com.
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| Resource Paper Describes Overview of Personal Communication Devices.
Overview
of Personal Radio Frequency Communication Technologies
(1019020). This EPRI Resource Paper provides a basic understanding
of how personal communications devices—such as cell
phones, Blackberries, and Wi-Fi Internet connections—communicate
with one another and describes the various signal modulation
methods. For more information, contact Mike Silva, (650)
855-2365, msilva@contractor.epri.com.
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| EMF Newsletter Published.
EMF
Research News, August 2009 (1019561). This semiannual
newsletter provides an update on EPRI and non-EPRI research
results, ongoing research, and key worldwide events concerning
exposure to power- and radio-frequency electric and magnetic
fields. For more information, contact Gabor Mezei, (650)
855-8908, gmezei@epri.com. |
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| . Leading
scientists and engineers met with EPRI staff and members
to discuss EMF Health Assessment and RF Safety Program
research at the annual meeting of EPRI’s external
EMF Scientific Advisory Committee, held July 20–21
in Madison, WI. |
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| . Effective July 1, Dr. Gabor
Mezei accepted the position of program manager for the
EMF Health Assessment and RF Safety Program. |
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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY |
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| Program 62: Occupational Health and Safety
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This study looked at the relationship between the height
of a hand wheel valve, the maximum torque required (including
direction) to operate the valve, and the risk of injury
to workers’ shoulders and backs. |
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ENVIRONMENT FEDERAL
HIGHLIGHTS (Washington D.C. Office, John Novak) |
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| For more information on
the items below, contact John Novak, 202-293-6180,
jnovak@epri.com.
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| . On
July 9, Bryan Hannegan testified at a hearing of the Subcommittee
on Energy and Environment, House Committee on Science
and Technology, in a presentation on Technology Research
and Development Efforts Related to the Energy and Water
Linkage. |
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John Novak attended the meetings of the Ad Hoc Working
Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under
the Kyoto Protocol and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term
Cooperative Action under the Convention, held in Bonn,
Germany, on Aug. 10–15. |
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| NEW SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT
OPPORTUNITIES |
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| NEW MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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| *
denotes EPRI sponsored or cosponsored event |
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| Environment Sector |
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Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
Oct. 5–8, Boulder, CO. Contact: Marsha Grossman, (650)
855-8760, mgrossma@epri.com.
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Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
March 15–18, 2010, Orlando, FL. Contact: Marsha Grossman,
(650) 855-8760, mgrossma@epri.com.
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| Air Quality |
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| Annual Meeting of the American
College of Epidemiology
Sept. 12–15, Silver Spring, MD. Contact: Sharan Campleman,
(650) 855-2331, scampleman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
National Atmospheric Deposition 2009 Annual Meeting
& Scientific Symposium
Oct. 6–8, Saratoga Springs, NY. Contact: Arnout Ter
Schure, (650) 855-2281,
aterschu@epri.com.
8th Annual Community Modeling and Analysis System
(CMAS) Conference
Oct. 19–21, Chapel Hill, NC. Contact: Naresh Kumar,
(650) 855-8758, nkumar@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Air Quality VII Conference
Oct. 26–29, Arlington, VA. Contact: Leonard Levin, (650)
855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
American Association for Aerosol Research 28th Annual
Conference
Oct. 26–30, Minneapolis, MN. Contact: Stephanie Shaw,
(650) 855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
2009 National Ambient Air Monitoring Conference
Nov. 2–5, Nashville, TN. Contact: Stephanie Shaw, (650)
855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
30th Annual Meeting
Nov. 19–23, New Orleans, LA. Contact: Sharan Campleman,
(650) 855-2331, scampleman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Society for Risk Analysis 2009 Annual Meeting
Dec. 6–9, Baltimore, MD. Contact: Sharan Campleman,
(650) 855-2331, scampleman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
American Geophysical Union 2009 Fall Meeting
Dec. 14–18, San Francisco, CA. Contact: Stephanie
Shaw, (650) 855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
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| Global Climate Change |
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| 9th Annual EPRI-IEA-IETA Workshop
on Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading
Sept. 14–15, Paris, France. Contact: Adam Diamant,
(510) 260-9105, adiamant@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website. Register for the workshop
here. |
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| Land and Groundwater |
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Toxics Release
Inventory for Power Plants LARK-TRIPP Workshop
Sept. 15–16, Dallas, TX. Contact: Naomi Goodman, (650)
855-2193, ngoodman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
* Power
Plant Toxics (PISCES) Database Training Webcast
Sept. 23, 3:00 PM EDT. Contact: Naomi Goodman, (650) 855-2193,
ngoodman@epri.com.
Air Quality VII Conference
Oct. 26–29, Arlington, VA. Contact: Leonard
Levin, (650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
* Agricultural
Uses of FGD Gypsum
Nov. 17–19, Indianapolis, IN. Contact: Ken
Ladwig, (262) 754-2744, keladwig@epri.com.
This workshop is jointly sponsored by EPRI, ACAA, USDA-ARS,
EPA, and Southern Company. More information is available
at the event
website.
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EPRI MGP 2010 Symposium
Jan. 27–29, 2010, San Antonio, TX. Contact: Jeff Clock,
(845) 608-0642, jclock@epri.com,
or Jim Lingle, (414) 355-5559, jlingle@epri.com.
EPRI received 83 abstracts and has chosen the most interesting
and technically innovative for platform sessions, with the
remainder as poster sessions. Tabletop displays will also
be included. Please register early since the symposium is
likely to be overbooked. More information is available at
the event
website. |
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| T&D Environmental Issues |
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| Ninth International Symposium
on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management
Sept. 27–Sept. 30, Portland, OR. Contact: John W. Goodrich-Mahoney,
(202) 293-7516, jmahoney@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
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Together…Shaping
the Future of Electricity® |
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Electric
Power Research Institute
3420
Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338 • PO Box 10412,
Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com
• www.epri.com
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